Damien Chazelle to Direct Episodes of a Netflix Musical TV Show

Damien Chazelle (La La Land) will direct two episodes and executive produce a musical TV series for Netflix, the streaming service announced today.

Called The Eddy, the show will look at the relationship between an American and a French-Arab co-owning a jazz club in modern-day Paris, according to Variety who spoke with Netflix’s VP of International Originals Eric Barmack at the Venice Film Festival. The show will be shot in Paris and will feature dialogue in French, English and Arabic. Whether that means singing will also be in multiple languages remains to be seen.

Eight episodes have been given to the first season. Chazelle will only direct two and, along with a confirmed presence of French actors and crew members, French directors may step in to direct as well, according to Barmack speaking to Variety.

Jack Thorne (This is England) is writing all eight episodes. Original music is being written by Glen Ballard (“Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson). There’s no word if lyrics are being handled by Thorne, Ballard or somebody else.

“I’ve always dreamed of shooting in Paris, so I’m doubly excited to be teaming up with Jack, Glen and [executive producer] Alan [Poal] on this story, and thrilled that we have found a home for it at Netflix,” Chazelle said in a statement from Netflix.

“From the intense, complex relationship between a jazz drummer and his instructor in Whiplash to his dazzling duo of lovelorn Los Angelenos in La La Land, Damien’s work is emotional and electrifying,” Barmack said in the Netflix release. “His projects have a rhythm all their own, and we’re incredibly excited for him, Jack, Glen, Alan and the production team to bring their vision for The Eddy to Netflix. We couldn’t be happier that he will be shooting The Eddy in France and that we will bring this bold, global and multilingual series to our members around the world.”

When that will be is also up in the air. Chazelle is directing and producing First Man, a movie about Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon that has an Oct. 12, 2018 release date and Thorne may be helping out in writing Star Wars: Episode IX.